2018 Report

Trust

A high-functioning metropolitan area generates the trust among residents needed to work together on common challenges and issues of regional importance. Unfortunately, in Greater Kansas City, only a little over one-third (36 percent) of residents find others worthy of their trust. This is virtually unchanged from the 35 percent believing most people to be trustworthy in 2018, despite the increase since then in those believing the region is heading in the right direction. Only 13 percent of blacks think most people are trustworthy, significantly lower than either the 36 percent of Latinos, Asians or other minorities or the 41 percent of whites who share this belief. Trust is most strongly related to education and income. Only among those with the highest incomes and education level classifications do a majority believe most people are trustworthy.